The past year has spotlighted women’s empowerment across sports and culture, from the Barbie movie phenomenon to Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras tour, the growing FIFA Women’s World Cup, and the undeniable stardom of college basketball icon Caitlin Clark. These examples, among countless others, underscore the increasing influence of women in diverse societal spheres. This surge is vibrantly reflected in the world of cycling, where the women’s side of the sport is experiencing explosive growth.
Evidence of this boom is undeniable. The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, launched in 2022, has rapidly become incredibly popular, alongside the prestigious women’s Paris-Roubaix avec Zwift event. The calendar of races and the number of professional women’s teams are expanding at an impressive rate. Furthermore, the gravel racing scene’s recent surge in popularity includes a significant wave of female cyclists. Events like SBT GRVL in Colorado saw 31% female participation last year, a remarkable figure in a sport historically dominated by men. The rise of women’s road racing teams is also noticeable, and the upcoming 2025 UCI World Championships will feature a U23 women’s race for the first time, poised to inspire even more young women to pursue competitive cycling.
Driven by curiosity to witness this European women’s racing scene firsthand, I extended a recent work trip encompassing London and Spain to include a detour to Paris, where I was meeting my daughter. Serendipitously, my travel days aligned with the Tour of Normandie pro women’s race, where the Cynisca Cycling team, owned by my friend Chris Gutowsky, was competing. This presented a perfect opportunity. I journeyed from Portsmouth to Caen via ferry across the Channel and connected with the team at their hotel.
The experience culminated in an unforgettable moment: Cynisca’s Lauren Stephens’s spectacular stage victory achieved through a daring solo breakaway in the race’s final stretch. Witnessing this victory from the team car, alongside team director Gillian Ellsay and mechanic Mat Stephens (Lauren’s husband), was an extraordinary privilege.
Here are key insights gleaned from my day immersed in women’s bike racing:
1. The Excitement and Ascent of Women’s Cycling
Cynisca Cycling’s mission is truly inspiring. They stand out as the sole American bike racing team dedicating the majority of their season to competing in Europe, proudly representing the USA. While some men’s UCI World Tour teams like EF, Human Powered Health, and Trek are registered in the US, their rosters feature very few American riders, diluting any strong American team identity beyond perhaps their equipment. Other American teams, such as DNA Pro Cycling, periodically participate in European races. Cynisca, however, distinguishes itself with a roster of nine American riders out of sixteen, complemented by Canadian, French, and Irish athletes. Based in Europe for most of the season with a service course in France, Cynisca’s core focus is nurturing and developing female bike racers. While this developmental focus was once rare, the landscape is evolving. Many UCI Women’s World Tour teams are now establishing their own development programs, and the anticipated 2025 introduction of Pro Teams as a second tier under the World Tour level signals further professionalization. Fuelled by the popularity of events like the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and the addition of a U23 women’s race at the UCI World Road Championships in Rwanda, women’s cycling is undergoing significant expansion. Cynisca is clearly at the forefront of this exciting movement. The growing enthusiasm from host towns in France for these races further underscores the promising trajectory of women’s cycling, and I anticipate substantial growth in this category over the next half-decade.
2. The High Velocity of European Women’s Racing
The sheer speed of European women’s racing is striking. Lauren’s stage 3 victory, covering 83 miles with 6,000 feet of elevation gain, was achieved at an astounding average speed of 25 mph. This pace is exceptionally fast, comparable to elite-level men’s racing. With a peloton of approximately 120 riders, the intensity is palpable. To put it in perspective for US cycling enthusiasts, the speed of the women’s European professional peloton rivals that of a men’s Cat 1–2 race in the United States. It’s a testament to the incredibly high level of competition.
3. The Indispensable Role of Team Bonding
Team bonding is paramount, particularly the team dinner ritual following each stage. Sharing a meal of vegetable soup and pasta with the team the evening before the race, I realized its crucial role as the primary opportunity for riders and staff to connect on a personal level throughout the week. The demands of race days leave little room for informal interaction. Like any successful sports team, strong interpersonal relationships among teammates are invaluable and contribute significantly to overall performance and morale.
4. The Hectic and Hazardous Reality of the Team Car Caravan
The chaotic and potentially dangerous environment within the long convoy of team cars trailing the peloton is a hidden aspect of bike racing, rarely glimpsed on television broadcasts. Each team car is assigned a position in the line (we were number 11 that day), but the order is constantly shifting. Cars maneuver to advance past the peloton for various reasons: supporting a rider in a breakaway, attending to a puncture, or receiving clothing adjustments. This constant movement occurs at high speeds, sometimes reaching 60 mph, even around blind corners. Witnessing this “race within a race” from the passenger seat was surprisingly stressful, and it’s remarkable that accidents involving riders are not more frequent. Inside the team car, the atmosphere is intensely focused. The official race radio broadcasts in French from the lead official’s car, team radio communications with riders crackle with instructions, VeloViewer displays the course map on an iPad, and an iPhone provides real-time data on speed and distance. Adding to the sensory input, I was following the live race broadcast on my own phone. Cynisca’s team DS Gillian Ellsay deserves immense credit for her composure and skillful navigation of this demanding environment.
5. The Unsung Heroes: The Dedicated Support Staff
The tireless efforts of the support staff are essential for the athletes’ success on race days. From mechanics Mat and Lothar, who worked late into the evening prepping bikes in the rain, to directeurs sportifs Gillian and Billy, and soigneurs Dea and Mark, everyone was engaged in crucial tasks both the evening before and the morning of the race. The sheer volume of work required to enable the women to perform at their best is immense, encompassing everything from food preparation and bike maintenance to vehicle logistics and hydration. My respect for the often-unseen dedication of these individuals, who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure each team’s race operation runs smoothly, has grown immensely.
Witness the stage 3 broadcast here, as viewed from the team car:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdYAn5Dmcno&t
Conclusion
My day at the Tour of Normandie Femmes offered an invaluable perspective on the dynamic and rapidly evolving world of women’s cycling. From the exhilarating speed and competition on the road to the crucial roles played by team dynamics and support staff, it’s clear that women’s cycling is not just growing – it’s thriving. The dedication, athleticism, and teamwork on display are compelling, and signal a bright future for Women Bike and women in sports overall. The upward trajectory of women’s cycling is something to be excited about and wholeheartedly supported.
